Metroid: Mission Undefined
by DarkLordMephiles
Summary: After destroying the BSL during a mission for the Federation, Samus was labeled a wanted criminal. With only her ship, re-created Power Suit and the AI Adam, Samus has to survive with both the Federation AND the Space Pirates after her.
1. Chapter 1

_Data Log Accessed - Samus Aran Mission Recording  
Log Date: -Corrupted-  
Location: Elysia, post-rebuild  
Playback Intiated... _

"Lady, I suggest relocating immediately. The Federation is quickly closing on your position." Adam warned in his electronic monotone. The AI had long been advising Samus, ever since her fall-out with the Galactic Federation years ago. "Lady, they are just outside this room."

Samus sighed inside her Power Suit, quickly getting annoyed with the AI. "Adam... I know." She was on Elysia, a planet she had saved from Phazon Corruption long ago, when she still worked with the Federation. The floating city-factories of the planet had been rebuilt, but some areas were left alone - such as the storage room she was currently in.

"Aran, the data can wait. If need be, I can archive what you have downloaded and attempt to finish it remotely - but you must leave." Adam insisted, his voice more urgent.

Hesitating for a moment, Samus finally stepped away from the console, closing the Scan link. "Fine, Adam. I need the quickest way to the ship, ASAP." The route lit up on her map before she finished the sentence, and the armored Hunter quickly ran through the nearest door.

The instant the door closed, grey-armored Federation troopers burst through the other door. "Find her. Shoot on sight - you all know how deadly she is. Go!" the commander of the squad shouted, glaring through his helmet's visor at Samus' escape route. "Command, we're going to need backup."

Samus skidded to a stop at the edge of one of Elysia's many bridges connecting the floating structure around the planet. "Adam... where's my ship?" she asked calmly, turning to face the door she had just emerged from. Her suit's arm cannon hummed to life, the Power Beam already charging.

"On it's way, Lady - it is rather difficult piloting a ship while keeping both you and it off of Federation radar." the AI replied evenly. "And interfering with door mechanisms."

The Hunter chuckled, a rare event for her. "Get Rundas on the line once we're out of here." she said, aiming the cannon at the door as it started to open. "I'm going to have a story for him."

The first trooper to walk through the door was taken down with a charged Beam shot to the side, knocking him off of the bridge. The next was hit as well, but managed to get three shots off while Samus charged up her beam again. The first missed, but the second two splashed against the Hunter's visor, blinding her for a moment.

"Adam! The ship?" she grunted, switching to Missile ammunition.

"Your gunship should be arriving... now." Adam replied. Just as he said, the unmistakable orange gunship flew out from the clouds behind them, Power Beam turrets trained on the Federation troopers.

Samus fired off a single missile at the door before turning and jumping onto the ship. The rocket speared through one trooper before detonating, breaking the bridge's connection to the building and letting it fall through the clouds below. "A little close, Adam - but thanks." she muttered, shaking her head as the hatch below her opened and she sank into the ship.

Sitting down in the ship's pilot seat, Samus glanced at the targeting screen for the Beam turrets. The Federation troopers were still there, staring at the ship - no, not at it... past it.

Adam didn't even have time to warn the bounty hunter before a missile slammed into the engines of the gunship and sent it hurtling down towards the planet's core, the jolt from the impact throwing Samus onto the controls. "ADAM! Damage report!?" she shouted, quickly getting back in the seat and taking the controls, trying to keep the ship level.

"Engine 1 damaged beyond auto-repair ability; Engine 2 running at 12% capacity and dropping; Hull integrity at 58%…" Before the AI could continue, the rocket embedded in the ship's engine detonated, shredding the rear section of the craft.

Samus glanced behind her, feeling a distinct sense of déjà vu as she saw the explosion funneling through the ship's hallways towards her. When the force hit her, the last thing she thought before blacking out was,_ 'Not again...'  
_

**A/N: **Yeah, this chapter's short. I'm going to try and fix that next time. This might be a bit redundant... *looks at summary* but please review - and don't hesitate to tell me what I can improve on! See you next mission- no, chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

_System Reboot Complete.  
Chozo/Human Power Suit [F] online.  
System Report: Morph Ball damaged, Missile Launcher damaged, Plasma Beam damaged... _

Samus groaned as her suit's damage report scrolled across her visor._ 'This seems to be a running joke by the universe at this point...'_ she thought. Her groan was also partially due to realizing a large part of her own ship's hull was currently resting on her legs - painfully. "… Adam?"

After a moment of static, the AI responded from within her helmet. "Ah, good - you are conscious again. Just a moment, I have already requested assistance." For a computer, he managed to sound both worried and amused.

Not a minute passed before a large, clunky-looking robot floated into her view, looking down at her. "Do not move. This will be painful otherwise." it droned before grasping the hull plate with one bulky pincer-arm and slowly lifting it, allowing Samus to move out from under it.

"Samus, you should sit down somewhere. You, luckily, were not severely injured in the crash, but give your suit time to repair what injury you have sustained." Adam stated before the bounty hunter could stand.

The AI sounded like it was giving an order rather than a suggestion, but Samus complied, sitting down on the large hull plate and taking the time to look around.

The ship, as she expected, was destroyed. Even so, what remained was trying to repair itself - but it was going to take a long time at this rate. It took a moment for her to realize exactly where she was - the surface of Elysia, which wasn't supposed to actually exist - rather, the planet was supposed to be a gas giant, with only a core to keep the atmosphere in place.

Samus turned to look at the bulky robot, scanning it quickly.

_New Technology entry: Industrial Drone 'Gyron'  
Very little data is available on this mechanoid, although technology suggesting Space Pirate construction is present in the machine. Threat level minimal. _

"Hunter." The Gyron drone began walking towards her, grinding to a halt a few feet away. "Do not be alarmed. Zebesian Command has requested your presence."

That got Samus' attention. Quickly bringing her arm cannon up to aim at the robot, she replied, "They can come here. I'm not leaving the ship." As if to emphasize her statement, a Beam turret situated on one of the few intact pieces of the ship hummed to life, slowly turning to aim at the drone.

After a moment of silence, the robot gave a stiff nod. "Understood, Hunter. Accommodations will be made. A representative will arrive as soon as possible. This unit will remain as defense and tracking beacon." With that, the Gyron drone seemed to collapse into itself, changing into a thick metal column, with only one red optic slowly scanning the area to show it was anything different.

Samus sighed, finally looking at her suit's full status report.

_Damaged Systems: Nova, Plasma and Wave Beams; Missile Launcher and dependent systems; Morph Ball and dependent systems; Screw Attack, Space Jump, Speed Booster, Gravity Suit, 9 Energy Tanks.  
Remaining Systems: Varia Suit, Grapple Beam, Charge Beam, Hazard Shield, Thermal Visor, 1 Energy Tank, -System Unidentified-.  
Personal Medical Status: Combat ability 89%; Estimated time to full capability: 24 standard minutes._

_'24 minutes... all things considered, that's not bad.'_ Samus glanced around at her wrecked ship again, and groaned. "Stranded on a planet, waiting for my ship to repair itself. It's like the Aether mission all over again."

"Samus, you have spoken more this 'mission' than I can recall over the past year. Are you feeling well?"

She actually cracked a smile behind her visor. "Was that a joke, Adam? I'm impressed."

If a computer could smirk, Adam would be. "I try. I suggest you get some rest - either I or the Gyron drone will wake you if need be."

Samus looked over at the drone - still in 'sentry' mode, slowly scanning the area. "… Alright then. If I get shot, you can pay for repairs." With that, the bounty hunter laid back on the hull plate and closed her eyes, settling in for some much needed rest.

**A/N: Yeah... another short chapter. Don't shoot me, it's my brain's fault! Anyway... Samus, you JUST realized the universe hates you?  
An old friend should be showing up next chapter - as well as someone who just won't die. See you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

_The Hunter has been located. Transmitting coordinates - all possible speed suggested, Outcast forces detected en route. This unit will remain for location update and local defense. Chances of survival minimal without assistance. _

Leaning back from the communication console, the cybernetic 'representative of the Zebesians' gave a filtered sigh. "Alert squad Delta, and allocate two Steamlord groups to the team. The Hunter's survival is our top priority - and get my gunmech online. We have Outcasts to fight."

The purple, chitin-plated Zebesian behind him nodded. "Understood, sir." Crossing both crab-like claws over its chest in salute, the creature quickly walked out of the room.

The cybernetic smiled faintly. "Ah, it'll be good to fight alongside you again Samus." He stood up out of his chair, glancing over at the frost covered blade-like weapon leaning against the console. "… let's not die this time."

"Samus!"

The armored bounty hunter snapped awake, instinctively looking at her motion sensor as she stood up. Nothing showed up but herself and the Gyron drone. "What is it, Adam?"

"Space Pirate transports are showing up on the long-range scanner - as well as a large bioform, slightly ahead of them." The AI paused for a moment. "I'm... surprised..."

Samus felt her suit turn to face the Gyron drone on its own - and what she saw moderately surprised her as well.

Where the drone had been, there now stood an artillery-scale energy cannon, slowly tracking... something. "Outcast forces incoming. Estimated force: Four heavy transports, twelve armored Outcast troopers, one unknown cybernetic-enhanced bioform. Threat level high."

_Technology Update - 'Gyron' drone.  
This mechanoid has morphed into a more combat-suited form. Immobile, but armed with a mortar-scale Beam-type weapon system. Lightly armored, but equipped with a limited energy shield. Threat level Moderate._

_'Well... good to have some help.'_ Samus glanced up, spotting the first of the 'Outcast' ships - a Space Pirate transport. "Great, I thought they'd forgotten about me." she muttered dryly, already charging her Power Beam.

The transport's design had changed since Samus last saw it. The bulky ship's design had been streamlined, and two wings - about half the length of the ship itself - had been added to each side, a turret of some kind placed on each wing. Another major change was the front of the ship; it now looked somewhat like a long, open beak with a cannon in-between the 'jaws'. Overall, the transport now had a vaguely... dragon-like appearance.

The ship slowed to a halt, hovering just outside Samus' range. A wide door between the wings on one side slid open, three armored Pirate troopers jumping out and triggering the bulky thruster packs they wore.

"Aerotroopers... great." Samus sighed, firing a charged shot at one of the pirates, who easily dodged the blast. The trooper was not able to avoid the second shot, striking its jetpack and sending it spiraling to the ground with a sickening crack.

The other two Pirates snarled something incomprehensible, launching several missiles at the Hunter.

Samus quickly took cover behind a large section of her ship, letting the rockets detonate against the hull. 'Well, that's another hour of repairs...' she thought, darting out of cover long enough to fire another stream of shots at the flying troopers. One rocket, fired later than the others, slammed into her suit and threw her to the ground.

The Gyron drone swiveled to aim at the Pirates, firing a cannon-like blast. The large energy shot vaporized one of the remaining aerotroopers, while the other turned its attention to the drone, launching another salvo of missiles at it.

"Samus, we may have a problem." Adam said as the bounty hunter rolled back behind the gunship. "There are several additional vehicles registering as Pirate ships en route to this location."

Samus mentally cursed her luck - or lack thereof - at the moment. "Great. Any other good news?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a communication alert popped up on her visor.

"… Samus, I suggest you answer." the AI advised quietly.

Rolling her eyes, she opened the channel - and was surprised to hear what sounded like a Space Pirate's grating voice actually speaking English.

"Hunter - you have reinforcements incoming. Do not attack the new arrivals; the Outcasts are our enemies as well as yours. Our commander will be with you momentarily."

Before Samus could say anything else, a huge Space Pirate dropped to the ground in front of her with enough force to crack the stone. It looked similar to an Elite Pirate - a genetically enhanced and Phazon-mutated creature she fought on Tallon IV - with some slight differences. Mainly, the huge energy scythe replacing its left arm that sent the bounty hunter sprawling to the ground.

Just as the mutated Pirate was about to bring the scythe crashing down again, a blast of frigid energy collided with its arm, coating the limb in a thick coat of ice.

Turning in the direction of the blast, Samus' eyes widened upon seeing a familiar face.

"Don't worry, Samus - 'Justice will prevail' and all that, remember?"

**A/N - I wonder who that could be? Yeah, crappy cliffy is crappy. The Elites are back, this should be fun!**


	4. Chapter 4

"R-rundas?" Samus was shocked to see the Phrygisian alive - after all... she had personally killed him when he was under the control of her Phazon doppelganger, Dark Samus.

Rundas had visibly changed, though. Half of his torso was now covered in a faintly noticeable metal plating - dyed to match his skin as close as possible - and likely replaced with cybernetics. His left arm was in a similar condition, as well as his left leg. His attitude however, it seemed, had remained intact.

"Good to see you again, Samus. We'll have time to catch up later - right now, Pirates need dealing with." Although his face was hidden by his armor, Samus knew he was smirking. "Let's show them what happens when you mess with the best hunters in the galaxy!"

Giving a faint nod, Samus focused on the half-frozen Elite Pirate in front of her, shattering its arm quickly with a Missile.

The creature glanced at the shattered limb for a moment in confusion before roaring something unintelligible and swiping at her with its other arm. Enraged as it was, the strike missed entirely, leading to getting hit with another rocket - directly into its gaping mouth. The mutant had enough time to realize it was going to die before exploding from within, scattering chunks of armor and flesh over both hunters.

Rundas barked a short laugh, absently wiping the gore off of his armor. "Just don't make them like they used to. Oh, and the cavalry's here!"

It was true - Pirate ships were flying in... and falling out of the sky upon meeting a hail of missiles and plasma shots. After a moment, the attackers were revealed - four Steamlords, the Elysian overseer drones, and what looked like a squad of Zebesians, the Space Pirates' predecessors.

"Feel like kicking back to watch the show?" Rundas asked, sounding amused.

Samus adopted a mock-thoughtful stance before shrugging. "You know what, Rundas? I think... not." Before the Phrygisian could blink, the hunter was gone, only to be found firing at the Pirate transpots with the others.

For a moment, he just stood still, shaking his head. Then he, too, added his own firepower to the assault. 'This'll be fun...'

With both Hunters fighting, the battle was over quickly. The few Pirate transports that managed to drop off their troops were quickly brought crashing to the ground, either frozen or in pieces. The Pirates themselves perished almost immediately under a barrage of plasmafire and explosives.

"So, Rundas..." Samus began, wiping a bit of Pirate flesh off of her armor. "… mind explaining this?"

The Phrygisian shrugged, glancing at the Zebesians behind him. They were wandering through the wrecked transports, scavenging anything that still worked. "It's a bit of a story, Samus." he said, looking back to her. "But if you'd come back to HQ - and yes, we'll come retrieve what's left of your ship - I'd be glad to explain there."

Samus thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, Rundas - I can't wait to hear how you survived the Phazon ordeal."

Gesturing for her to follow, Rundas walked over to one of the few working ships - obviously what the Zebesians had used to get there so quickly. "Take us back home, and make it quick." he said to the ship's pilot.

The Zebesian gave a sharp nod, waiting for Samus to step inside before closing the transport's hatch. After a few moments, the ship shook as the engine warmed up, then they were off faster than a blaster shot.

A few minutes into the flight, Samus turned to look at Rundas. "So...?"

"Not a whole lot to tell - I don't remember much about HOW I came back." he explained, shrugging. "I know I didn't die, so that's all that really matters as far as I'm concerned." Glancing at his metallic arm, he sighed. "Though... I do recall a lot of pain when I DID wake up. Glad I showed up on Phrygis; my old family managed to get me fixed up before I bled out. The cold helped." The Phrygisian gave a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "That's something I'm not gonna forget for a while."

-Flashback-

_I looked around, glad the cold was taking the edge off of the insane pain I was in. _'Losing half of your body tends to do that, I guess.'_ I thought, trying in vain not to think about how my organs were hanging out of the left side of my body. _'I... should be dead. Samus... killed me. Didn't she?'

_It took a few moments for my brain to register where I was. "Phrygis. Great. I get to bleed to death on my own planet." I sounded horrible - like I was trying to talk through a mouthful of my own blood. _'Wait... I am. Shit. This... is bad.'_ At this point, I went from thanking the cold to cursing it. Without my armor and skin protecting my insides, it didn't matter how cold-resistant I was - I was going to freeze to death before anything else._

_Knowing it would only make me die slower, I used what little focus I had to form a thin shell of ice around the gaping hole that was my left side. Glancing around again, I recognized a faint shape through the snowstorm. _'My... village? Damn, Fate - you're cruel...'_ I thought, using my one good arm to slowly crawl in that direction. I didn't know how I knew it was my village, I just knew. I crawled for what seemed like hours before I finally gave up._

_I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the sky, feeling... not a whole lot. Pain, obviously - but besides that... nothing. I was tired - and I had a right to be, after what I just went through - so I closed my eyes, letting out a ragged sigh. Before I blacked out, I swear I heard a familiar voice, but... too tired..._

-Flashback End-

Rundas' retelling was interrupted by the Zebesian pilot. "Apologies for interrupting, sir. We are approaching the base - should I alert the troops of the Hunter's arrival?"

Rundas glanced over at Samus for a moment, before shaking his head. "Nah, let's surprise them. But have them gather in the hangar - I have a special announcement." he replied, no doubt smirking behind his armor. "Take us in. And hurry it up - I want time to give Samus the tour."

It was only a few minutes before the rumble of the transport's engines faded, signaling their landing. Rundas stood up and walked over to the ship's hatch. "Ready to make one of your classic 'grand entrances', Samus?" he asked, sounding amused.

The bounty hunter smirked behind her visor, nodding silently.

Rundas laughed quietly, stepping out of the hatch into the large hangar. Zebesians were waiting outside, all immediately giving him a sharp salute. He returned the gesture, and raised a hand for everyone to quiet down. "Attention, Reformants - I have a special announcement." he said, his voice amplified by his helmet. "We've got ourselves a new ally... and an old friend."

The moment the Phrygisian ended his statement, a stream of orange energy bolts shot out of the ship, striking the ground behind him and raising a thick cloud of dust that obscured the ship. The Zebesians reacted by quickly readying their weapons, while Rundas reacted by calmly stepping to the side. A few seconds passed, then Samus jumped out of the cloud, launching into a rapid series of flips before landing, her blue and yellow armor gleaming in the light of the hangar.

After a moment of silence, one of the gathered Zebesians took a few steps toward her. "… Hunter Aran?" he asked, surprised.

In response, Samus aimed her arm cannon at the wall behind the crowd, and fired a long stream of Beam shots. When she was done, scored into the wall was her signature, angular 'S' symbol. She looked at the Zebesian, and gave a slight nod. "The one and only."

**A/N: No Author's Note here. Move along.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Samus... hatchling, wake up."

_'Hatchling...!?'_ I awoke with a jolt, wide-eyed at what - and who - I saw. I was laying on the carved stone floor of what seemed to be a Chozo temple in its prime. The room was... oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. But I threw that aside - standing over me was 'Old Bird', the Chozo elder who took me in after... he destroyed my life.

The elder's beak twisted in a faint smile as he held out an old, talon-like hand. "Come with me, hatchling. We have much to discuss."

I grabbed his hand, unsteadily getting up. "I thought you had all..."

The Chozo held one talon up, silencing me. "We never truly left, Aran. You carry us with you wherever you go." he said in his gravelly voice. "But sadly, there is not time enough for this. I have something important to explain." He stopped for a moment to take a breath, then continued.

"A new threat is rising among allies, Samus. Where you once found support, you will soon find the fiercest opposition you have faced yet. The reverse, however, is also true - your oldest enemies may become your most valuable allies. Guard your mind well, and listen - not only to yourself, but all of those around you."

The room around us seemed to flicker, and began fading. Old Bird, as well, slowly began to fade away in front of me. "Wait...!"

The Chozo held up a talon again. "We never left, hatchling. Just search where you last saw us..."

With a final, somewhat sad smile, the elder completely faded, along with the room around me.

"Samus... Hunter Aran!"

_-3rd Person-_

Samus snapped awake, and moved to a sitting position on her bed. Standing beside her was one of the Zebesians - actually, the one who had approached her when she arrived at the base.

He crossed both arms over his chest in salute before taking a few steps back. "I apologize for waking you, Hunter. However, I was instructed to inform you that the research division has some equipment for you. Also, Commander Rundas requests your presence in the war room, after you equip yourself."

Samus nodded, a faint smile behind her suit's visor._ 'This, I'm used to.'_ "Thank you... Rodex, wasn't it?"

The Zebesian seemed surprised for a moment before nodding. "That's correct, ma'am. Now, if you'll follow me, the scientists aren't the most patient bunch."

Rodex stopped outside a large door, and placed a claw on the scanner next to it. After a few seconds, the door split down the middle, and slid aside. "I will wait out here, and lead you to the war room when you are ready." he said, turning to Samus.

She silently nodded, and walked into the lab - although, once inside, it looked more like a full-out research facility compacted into one room. Several holo-screens took up most of the wall space, with schematics for various weapons showing. Against one wall, however, was a long table with several familiar items.

One of the scientists - surprisingly, a red-plated Kriken - walked over to Samus. "Ah, good, you've arrived. I'm Skiren, pleased to meet you Ms. Aran. I believe you'll enjoy the equipment we have for you - if you'll just come over here, we can get started."

Samus followed him over to the table. "Alright - what've we got?"

Skiren, despite having no visible mouth, seemed to smile. "I am glad you asked. First, we've got a powerful long-range weapon for you - the Seeker Beam, in keeping with your weapon pattern." He picked up the nearest item - a red Arm Cannon module. "Essentially an energy-based sniper, it hooks into your suit's auto-targeting to aim - just point at the target, and barring outside interference, it will never fail to be a fatal shot. The only drawback is the energy consumption - using it does have a noticeable drain on your shields."

The next item was very familiar to Samus. "An Energy Tank - that'll be helpful." she commented, quickly installing the Seeker Beam module.

_New System Acquired: Seeker Beam. Disabling damaged Plasma Beam. _

The Kriken shook his head. "Not quite - an Energy Balancer. It adds the option to funnel all of your suit's energy into Beam attacks, a speed boost, or an 'Overshield' to make you temporarily invulnerable. Whichever you choose, however, the other two systems will be unavailable - for example, the Overshield will disable your Beam weapons and your suit's motor systems, though you will still be able to move under your own power."

Samus glanced at the last item on the table. "And... that one?"

_New System Acquired: Energy Balancer. Speed Booster variant enabled, Overshield enabled, Overblast enabled. _

If Skiren was smiling before, he seemed to be absolutely beaming now. "Ah, we're particularly proud of that one - the Leecher. A Grapple-type upgrade, it allows you to siphon energy from the target - mechanical or otherwise - and add it to your own reserves. It also allows you to use your Grapple emitter as a close-range weapon, morphing the energy into a blade-like form."

"Well... you've been busy." the Hunter admitted, attaching the Leecher to her suit's left arm.

_New System Acquired: Leecher. Grapple Beam restored. _

Skiren shrugged. "We've been anticipating your arrival for some time - we had a head start."

Samus gave a slight shrug of her own. "I suppose so. Well, thank you for the gear, but the 'Commander' wanted to see me after I got equipped."

The Kriken nodded. "Understood. Go, then - don't keep our commander waiting."

Samus gave a quick nod, and walked out of the lab. "Alright, Rodex - let's see what Rundas wants with me."

"It's about time you got here, Samus." The Phrygisian was hunched over a long table, his back to the doorway. "Come on - get in here."

Samus walked into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. Moving over to Rundas, she asked, "What's going on?"

"Federation and Pirate forces were spotted not too far from the base - too close." His voice held a serious tone, sounding odd for the normally upbeat ex-Hunter. "And something else we can't place. At first, our scanners thought it was _you_."

Before Samus could reply, a portion of the table lit up in a holographic display, apparently showing a surveillance video, viewed from above and at an angle.

Rundas moved to get a better look at the recording. "That's one of our survey drones..."

_-Video PoV- _

Four Space Pirate troopers walked into the camera's view from the left, claw-mounted pulse cannons at the ready.

Another Pirate, from off-screen, growled in their language, "Soft-shell troops in place. They are expendable - the Predator is not. Defend it, do not be seen."

Also from the left, a figure in what seemed to be Samus' original Varia Suit entered the view. The Pirates visibly cringed, taking a step away from the being. The helmet tilted back, looking straight at the camera.

The view zoomed in on the visor, just as the suit's arm cannon swung up to aim at the drone.  
Before the ice-blue shot hit the mechanoid, it shifted filters - and showed two blank, dead eyes behind the green visor. Then the view went to static, and then black.

_-End Video- _

**_A/N: First off, thanks to you reviewers. I probably wouldn't be as motivated to continue this if I didn't know people out there liked it.  
Now then... I wonder who this Samus lookalike is, hm? Also, crappy cliffhanger is crappy. I'm evil - MUAHAHA!_**

**_... See you next chapter!_**


	6. Chapter 6

"Samus... what were we just looking at?" Rundas leaned against the nearby wall, looking over at her. "What the actual hell was that?"

Samus sighed, still staring at the static. "That was the SA-X. Supposed to be dead by now, it's a clone of me created by the X Parasites. Adam can send a full file your way, but the short version? It's me at my best, with the mindset of a predator." She gave a bitter laugh. "And apparently, Ridley's ability to come back from a self-destructing space station."

Rundas shook his head. "You manage to make the worst enemies, don't you?"

She shrugged. "I always beat them, don't I?"

The Phrygisian laughed quietly, nodding. "Yeah, I guess you do. But work on finishing the job, will ya?" He turned back to the table, bringing up a holographic map of the area around the base. "Alright... the Pirates are about 20 kilometers south of here, but don't seem to know quite where the base is." he said, pointing to a group of red-orange blips, slowly moving north-east.

Samus gestured towards another, smaller group of blips, south-west of the base and dark blue in color. "What're those? Federation?"

Rundas nodded. "Yeah - they've been here for a while, though, and haven't caused any trouble. I wouldn't worry too much. It's that that I'm worried about." A cloud-like, dark purple 'blip' appeared near the base, just to the north, before vanishing a second later. "We've been trying to track it for ages, but it always vanishes before we can get anything solid. Scanners pick it up as 'unknown dark matter entity'."

The ex-Hunter sighed. "We just can't catch a break, can we?"

"Hey, it could be worse. Dark Samus could be back, after all." Rundas replied, shrugging - and immediately earning a smack on the head.

"Don't even joke about that, Rundas." Samus snapped, glaring at him. "Of all things I don't want to put up with again, that is at the top of my list."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, jeez. Don't blow my head off or anything. Speaking of which - we've already got a mission for you. One of our patrols got... delayed, checking out something that crashed about a few hundred kilometers west of here. It scrambles our long-range sensors, and wreaks havoc with communication systems. I'll be sending you and a few shock troops to see what's going on, and if possible, bring our guys back. Any questions?"

"When do we leave?"

Samus walked into the hangar, to see several armored Zebesians leaning against some sort of tank. The moment one spotted her, they all snapped to attention.

"Captain Aran, we are prepared to leave, ma'am." one, apparently the squad leader from the slight armor difference, stated.

_'Captain Aran? Has a nice ring to it...'_ "Alright, then. First, names - starting with you." she said, almost instinctively scanning the tank behind them.

_New Vehicles Entry: Z-95 Havoc Transport _  
_Extensive information available - data transferred to logbook for convenience. _

The squad leader nodded. "Sergeant Karden, ma'am. Leader of Havoc Squad - it's an honor to be working with you."

The trooper to Karden's right stepped forward, saluting. "Lieutenant Krite, demolitions expert. You need something big brought down, I'm the one to call."

The third trooper, wearing noticeably lighter armor, simply glanced at her. "Lieutenant Saren, stealth expert. If I don't want to be seen, I'm not." he said.

Karden gestured towards the tank. "Tayren's our pilot and mechanic - not too chatty, but he does his job."

Samus nodded, then frowned "Wait - it's just you three?"

The three troopers glanced at each other, then Krite spoke up. "You obviously haven't seen Havoc in action, ma'am. We're all you should need."

Shrugging, she pointed to the tank. "Alright then - everyone in. Let's see what the big deal is."

"… and I swear, that brute would have CRUSHED me if Saren hadn't sniped him when he did!" Krite was telling Samus about yet another of the many missions they'd been on. "Still, we took down the cannon, and damn did that base get lit up! The Commander had brought along a Dreadnaught, and it held nothing back - I think my carapace got seared off a few layers, even from a few klicks away."

Tayren glanced back from the tank's pilot seat. "SO sorry to interrupt your bragging, Krite, but we're almost there. Captain, you... might want to see this."

Silently thanking the pilot, Samus stood up and walked to the cockpit.

Maybe thirty kilometers ahead of them, what at first seemed to be a huge meteor was half-buried in the ground. Then, she saw the telltale openings of huge thruster ports, and what looked like a ship's hull beneath large cracks in the 'meteor'. Quickly zooming in her view, Samus spotted a familiar insignia on the visible hull.

"That's a Pirate ship." she said flatly. "A cruiser, from the size."

Karden spoke up. "Scanners are a bit scrambled, but we're getting life signs - lots of them. And one big one. This should be interesting."

Tayren shrugged. "For you - I'm just the pilot. Now, where am I dropping you numbskulls off?"

Samus pointed to a large breach in the ship's hull. "There." she said simply, slipping into 'mission mode'. "We'll get in through there, see if we can find out just what's going on."

The pilot nodded silently, changing the tank's course to head for the breach.

Samus stepped out of the vehicle as it rumbled to a stop near the cruiser. Almost immediately, an alert popped up on her visor.

_Jamming Signal in place - Map System unreliable. Accessing Pirate Cruiser schematic. Notice: Source of jamming located. Notice: Unidentified bio-form located. Establishing connection with allies: Karden, Saren, Krite, Tayren. Network Complete. _

"Alright, everyone. We need to take down that jamming before anything can get done." she said, turning to the rest of the squad.

Karden nodded. "Any ideas, Captain Aran?"

Samus smirked faintly. "Yes, actually. I've got the layout of-"

Before she could finish, a muffled explosion echoed through the cruiser, shaking it enough for pieces of the rock covering it to fall off.

_Jamming signal fading. Bio-form identified: Ridley variant. Warning: structural instability present in cruiser. Multiple Space Pirate forces detected - energy pulses indicate ongoing attack within the ship. _

"… alright, scratch that. The jamming's down - and Ridley's here." Samus almost growled the Pirate Commander's name. "Something's got the Space Pirates' attention. Time for us to get noticed."

Another Space Pirate slumped to the ground, a hole burned straight through its skull.

"Well, your techs aren't bad - this Seeker beam sure delivers." Samus commented, glancing at her arm cannon. "Surprising, though, how ineffective the Pirates are being."

Krite shrugged, glancing down the corridor they were in. "We're not far from the fight - I can hear it."

Indeed, the sound of rapid-firing energy weapons echoed through the cruiser, occasionally interrupted by metal scraping against metal or the dying screech of a Pirate.

Samus moved into the hallway, quickly blasting a security camera - then getting an idea. Switching her helmet's speakers off for a moment, she said, "Adam, can you get into the cruiser's surveillance systems? I want to see just what's going on in that fight."

"Please, Aran. I could hack a Pirate system, disorient a Dreadnaught, and make tea without getting distracted. It'll only be a moment." the AI replied, making Samus smile at its prideful tone. True to its word, a video file was brought up seconds later on her visor. "… Samus, this... makes no sense. Look."

_Camera PoV - Location, Cruiser hangar _

The hangar was demolished - plating on the floors or walls torn up in makeshift cover, fighters toppled over for the same. On one side of the view, a massive force of various Space Pirates - at least a hundred strong, with more apparently off-camera - were sending barrages of plasma shots at the other side. Their target was a dragon-like creature... Ridley, hiding behind a toppled fighter.

The Pirate Commander was injured - heavily. From what could be seen, his wings were torn to shreds, and whole sections of his armor-like skin looked forcibly torn out by something. What wasn't torn out held the obvious signs of energy damage or - strangely - an icy coating.

Ridley growled something that was translated a moment later: "Damnet... the _one_ time I want that blasted hunter here..."

_End File _

Samus narrowed her eyes behind the visor, remembering her earlier dream.

"Aran, what are you..." the AI began before, shockingly, being cut off.

Switching her suit's speakers back on, Samus said, bitterly, "We're saving Ridley."

**_A/N: Alright, so... yeah. Those of you who were wondering about everyone's favorite dragon/pterodactyl, here he is! Damn, I can imagine Samus REALLY doesn't want to help his scaly hide. Tell me what you think, and suggestions are _****more ****_than welcome! Also, see if you can spot the references within this chapter!_**


	7. Save Station 1 (Author's Station)

_**Welcome, Mephiles.  
Here you can save your progress, and review/reply to messages you have received.**_

**Ehanu Rehu: Thanks for your reviews, you have no idea how much more motivation they give me to keep working. (That goes for everyone.)**

**Fierce Deity Wolf Link: Your first question will be answered in time. And Ridley has arrived, albeit later than I meant him to. ^^;**

**Wraith 5: Z-95 Headhunter.**

**_Progress saved. Resume game?_**

Y/N

**_Yes._**


	8. Chapter 7

Ridley cursed as another blast clipped his wing, burning another hole through the already-ruined membrane._ 'When I find that clone...'_ He leaned around the fighter, blowing a stream of fire at the traitorous Space Pirates before quickly getting behind cover again, wincing as his broken plating scraped against open wounds.

_**Submit to our will. **_

Ridley shook his head, snarling. "I'd sooner surrender to Aran." he retorted aloud, spearing a particularly courageous Pirate with his tail.

_**You are prolonging the inevitable. Stop... FIGHTING. **_

With the second command, a spike of agony shredded through the Pirate Commander's mind. He let out a shriek, feeling as if his body had internally caught fire. Only a second later, the pain faded to a dull throb.

_**We will break you. **_

Growling, Ridley leaned around the toppled fighter - and came face to face with a hulk of a creature as large as himself. The Berserker Knight, with speed surprising for its bulk, slammed its arm into his head, the sheer force sending him skidding a short distance away.

Ridley quickly shook his head, briefly disoriented._ 'A Knight? We stopped that program years ago...' _he thought, instinctively sending a blast of flame at the creature. The fire seemed to do nothing but annoy the Berserker, who charged through it towards him.

Ready this time, the Commander slipped to the side, making the mutated Pirate skid to a stop after passing him._ 'Damnet, what was the drawback for the Berserker project...?'_ He racked his brain for the mutant's vulnerability. Suddenly, his implanted communication system crackled to life, surprising him.

_"Don't question how I got in the system. Their vulnerability is the orbs on the shoulders. Don't die before I get there, Ridley." _

As quickly as the link opened, it shut down again before he could respond. Inwardly confused, he snarled at the Berserker before whipping his edged tail around to slam into the creature's shoulder, leaving a noticeable crack on the orb-shaped armor.

Enraged, the Knight repositioned itself, bracing against the floor. The undamaged orb glowed before launching a blast of familiar blue energy at him. Ridley didn't have time to dodge - the blast caught him in the chest, sending him skidding across the hangar floor to crash into a transport.

He shakily got back up, shocked. 'Phazon!? How...' Glancing down at himself for a moment, Ridley briefly saw faint blue 'veins' where the blast hit before they faded away. He looked up again - and took another Berserker-powered claw to the jaw, knocking him back to the ground.

_"You need some help?" _

The voice on his comm system sounded like it was mocking him - but also sounded vaguely familiar. As much as his pride rebelled against the idea, in his condition he was going to lose. Already the wounds he'd been ignoring were catching up to him, and blood loss was taking its toll. So, reluctantly, Ridley mentally activated the system's transmitter and said, "… Yes."

The only response was a bitter-sounding chuckle, followed by the telltale 'click' of the line shutting down.

He snarled a curse under his breath, glaring up at the Berserker Knight from the ground. 'I'm actually going to die. My own troops are going to kill me.' he thought as the Knight raised one massive arm above him. However, just as the mutant was about to bring its clawed arm down, a thin red beam speared through its head.

Ridley managed to move out of the way before the dead brute toppled to the ground where he had just been laying. He glanced around, seeing the Space Pirates just as surprised as himself. "...Trace?" he wondered aloud, searching for any sign of the Kriken sniper.

A yellow-orange streak of energy came out of the Pirate crowd, skidding to a stop and morphing into a form Ridley knew well - if in a new suit of armor. "Not quite." Samus replied, sounding both smug and annoyed at once. "Before you open your maw, how about you slink into that transport about to blast through the wall behind you?"

Almost the moment she finished the sentence, a large section of hull behind them was blasted inward, falling just short of crushing them both. A ramp extended down through the breach, with Krite waving for them to get in. "Hurry up, will ya? We charge by the minute."

Unfortunately, the whole sequence seemed to snap the Space Pirates out of their daze, as they all snarled and started firing barrages of plasma shots towards Samus, Ridley and the breach.

Samus slipped into 'combat mode', managing to fire charged Beam shots faster than would seem possible. For every shot she fired, a Pirate went down - but two more took their place. Not even turning to look at him, she snapped, "Well!? Get in there before I change my mind, Ridley."

For a moment, he seemed about to snap back at her. Thinking better of it, Ridley started backing towards the ramp, adding his own literal firepower to the Hunter's. "You're the last one I - agh, damn...- expected to save _me_." he said in a strained voice, wincing as he really started to feel the extent of his injuries.

Samus said nothing, blasting another Pirate apart with a Beam shot.

Krite grunted something under his breath. "Hurry the hell up! We've got a Frigate on our tail, and this thing sure ain't a battleship!"

Ridley made it up the ramp, firing one last burst of flame to drive the Space Pirates to cover. "Aran, get in here."

The Hunter turned her head slightly, looking at him. "The ruthless Pirate Commander Ridley, concerned for MY safety? I'm touched." she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Still, she quickly backed up the ramp as well. "Tayren, get us out of here."

The ramp slid up, sealing the doorway shut as the ship rumbled with the sound of thrusters activating. Ridley glanced around the large compartment - easily able to hold him with wings outstretched, and have plenty of space left over.

Almost reading his mind, Samus glanced at him. "Draco-class cargo transport. _Gratefully_ donated by a squad of Pirates. Only thing we could find that would hold you."

Krite, leaning against the wall nearby, spoke up. "I think it'd be best for all of us if Ridley here took a nap. He's got to be hurting worse than a shriekbat drowning in acid." He nonchalantly walked over to the dragon-like commander, only coming up to his 'shoulder' even on all fours. "Saren, if you would?"

Ridley whipped his head around in time to see the Zebesian stab a heavy-duty syringe into a section of exposed flesh. Almost immediately his sight darkened, and a quick rest was sounding quite good at the moment. He sank to the floor, muttering a quiet curse before his eyes shut and drug-induced sleep claimed him.


	9. Chapter 8

"You did WHAT!?"

Samus sighed, looking sideways at Rundas, her helmet resting on the table. "I saved Ridley from his own troops. I also got us a new transport."

The Phrygisian shook his head in disbelief. "Who are you and what have you done with Samus? You're telling me you just _SAVED_ the creature who-"

She cut him off with a glare. "Yes. I did. Which should be enough to tell you to _drop it_."

Rundas took the hint, giving a slow nod. "Yeah, yeah. So, the cruiser - any chance we can salvage anything? How many Pirates do you estimate were there?"

Acting like the previous conversation never happened, she shrugged. "Possibly - the generator was working. And a full crew - minus about thirty and a Berserker. Don't know what other projects they've got, though."

He laughed, slipping back into his old attitude for the moment. "Damn, Samus - only thirty? Losing your edge, are you?"

With a faint smile, Samus shrugged again. "I was distracted with trying to get a scaled moron out. Besides, you couldn't beat half the targets I do - or have you killed the same mutant metroid three times in a row, and I just didn't notice?"

After several minutes of similar banter, the war room door slid open, with Krite leaning against the doorway. "The dragon wants to talk with you." Both Rundas and Samus moved, but the Zebesian held up a claw. "Not you, Commander - just Sammy, here. We've got Centurions watching him, she'll be fine. Not that she needs the protection, I'm sure."

Rundas started to object, but Samus cut him off. "It's fine, Commander. I've beaten him seven times, an eighth won't be any different." She picked up her helmet and sealed it to her suit, turning to the Zebesian. "Lead the way."

Krite led her to the medical ward, gesturing to the door. "He's being too quiet, so watch yourself. Room L-1."

Samus silently nodded, walking through the door and quickly finding the room. She walked inside, past two heavily armed Zebesians - presumably the Centurions - and found Ridley in quite the condition. He was laying on the polished metal ground, with tubes carrying fluid passed into the portions of his body that had the plating - and in some places, the muscle underneath - torn away, and his wings, legs and tail were locked into some sort of machines.

The dragon-like commander turned his head to look at her, obviously suppressing whatever pain he must be feeling. "Samus... I'm_ honored _that you decided to come see me." he said in a strained snarl. "So tell me - does me being so... helpless... give you some satisfaction? Does knowing that I needed _your_ help-"

She cut him off - something she seemed to be doing a lot today. "Shut it, Ridley. I rescued your scaly hide because, while I want you dead, I want to be the one to kill you. Not the Space Pirates. That and..." The Hunter hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not you. I don't take 'satisfaction' in seeing my enemies helpless."

Ridley tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes. "Perhaps... but that's not what you were going to say, is it?" He reflexively tried to shift his wings, and cringed when they strained against whatever machines they were locked in.

Samus almost snapped something at him, but thought better of it. "No, Ridley. It wasn't." She turned to leave, when Ridley said something that surprised her - or rather, the way he said it surprised her.

"Samus... wait." His tone was that of someone who was desperate, with none of his usual maliciousness or sarcasm. "That clone of yours... it took my command from me. I don't..." He stopped for a moment; apparently his pride had him debating whether to continue. "I don't know how, but it's resurrecting our old experiments, discontinued projects... everything."

That made her worried. "… That explains the Berserker. But those had Phazon in their. . ." Both she and Ridley came to the same realization. "… I need to tell Rundas." She took one last glance at him before leaving the room.

Ridley sighed, laying his head on the ground and closing his eyes. "How far I've fallen..."

As Samus was running through the base, Adam's voice crackled to life in her helmet. "Aran, the data you requested has been downloaded. Also, this news is... disturbing. If the X Parasites have absorbed the genetics of a Berserker Knight, it is fully possible that-"

"Yes, Adam - I know. And thanks for getting the data - store it in the logbook for now. Entry Chozo Technology." Samus skidded to a stop in front of the war room door, narrowly avoiding hitting a Zebesian leaving the room. The alien quickly crossed its arms in salute before hurrying off to its business. Samus sighed, walking through the door. "Rundas, we've got a problem."

The Phrygisian nodded slowly, his hands scrambling across a holo-display. "Yeah, we do. The Federation's got a Valhalla-class cruiser orbiting the planet, with more ships on the way. We're bugging out."

_'Well, things just got more... interesting.' _Samus thought, shaking her head. "That's not all - I think the X can replicate Phazon."

Rundas immediately snapped his head around to look at her. "Please tell me that was a horrible attempt at a bad joke."

She shook her head, explaining. "The Berserker knights - according to Ridley anyway - were discontinued. Which would mean the one I killed would either be the last, or an X-clone. Since the Berserkers were mutated by Phazon..."

He muttered a curse under his breath, and the air in the room dropped several degrees. "Fantastic. We've got a predatory clone of you working with the Pirates, their old experiments being brought back, and now X-Phazon. On top of that, the Federation is literally about to bring hell down on the base."

"Actually... my clone is_ running_ the Space Pirates. Ridley got hijacked."

That time, Rundas laughed, albeit bitterly. "Serves him right. Still, that makes things even worse." He turned back to the display, and cursed again. He hit a key to turn on the base-wide communications. "Attention Reformants - we're bugging out. Heavy Federation forces en route. Everyone to a ship." Glancing back at Samus, he added, "Medical team - move the dragon to the_ Aether_. I want that ship ready to go ASAP."

"The_ Aether_?" Samus asked, simultaneously testing her link with her gunship.

_Propulsion systems: 87% repaired; stable flight likely.  
Defense Matrix: 91% repaired; shields and firewalls active.  
Beam Cannons: Operational.  
Warp System: 66% repaired; warp not recommended. _

"One of our larger transports - modular, so if it gets wrecked, it'll separate into different chambers. You're escorting it out. Get to the hangar - your ship is waiting."

Samus nodded, running out of the room. 'Something doesn't feel-'

**_Submit to our will. _**

She stumbled, shaking her head. Around her, Zebesians did the same. A few of them glanced around, others ignored it and kept going.

"… it's learning." Samus muttered, picking up the pace.

As she entered the hangar, she heard a muffled explosion followed by the base shuddering.

_"All Reformants, scramble. Federation bomber/fighter squadrons are on attack runs." _

Already, ships of all kinds were launching from this, and likely, other hangars throughout the base. One large transport was next to her own gold-orange gunship, with URF-_Aether_ along one side. Another ship, a fighter, launched itself from the hangar, only for a Federation Saber-class fighter to swoop by, cannons blazing, and send it crashing to the ground.

Samus sighed, still running towards her ship. She jumped up onto the gunship's hatch, dropping through into the interior and moving to the pilot's seat. Quickly running the ship's startup sequence, she brought up the communications - apparently the mechanics had pre-programmed it to connect with the Reformants' frequency. Convenient. "This is the Hunter, calling _Aether_. Are you ready to go?"

Only a few seconds went by before the speakers crackled._ "Affirmative, Hunter. Aether will follow you out - clear the way for us." _

She smirked behind her visor. "Understood. Give me thirty seconds after launch, then follow behind. Keep your weapons trained behind you, and I'll deal with everything else." The instant she finished, so did the system warmup. Without waiting for a response, she gripped the controls and launched.

The situation above the base was... not good. Several large ships - identified by the Hunter-class gunship as Vanguard corvettes - were sending down a barrage at the structure, with clouds of Sabers swarming every Reformant ship in the area.

Quickly arming her ship's Beam turrets, she switched the auto-targeting to Galactic Federation, and almost immediately a stream of energy shot from one of the turrets to tear through a close-knit group of fighters. _'Damn...' _she thought, surprised._ 'They gave me an upgrade.'_ Another fighter sped past her, only to be frozen in mid-air. As the ship fell, a small, quick blue craft sped out from behind it._ 'Heh... Rundas. Nice work.' _

_"Aether launching. Approx. seven minutes to warp range - keep us in the air that long, and we're golden." _

She gave a quick affirmative, simultaneously launching a pair of her gunship's rockets into another group of fighters, turning them into so much shrapnel. Behind her, the large transport cruised out of the hangar, slowly picking up speed and angling up.

This time coming from her ship's speakers, Adam spoke up. "Lady, we have a problem. A Valhalla-class destroyer is warping in-system. While it will temporarily remain out of effective firing range, I suggest increased haste in leaving the vicinity."

Samus muttered something under her breath, then relayed that information to the rest of the 'fleet'.

Rundas' voice crackled through her speakers. _"Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting. Wraith and Havoc, form on me. Aether, tighten up - I want you to have a front-row seat to Hunter's exhaust. We're not losing anyone else under my watch." _

For several minutes, everything was going well. Samus shot down any ships coming at her or the transport, and the rest of the fleet made it to the space-side edge of Skytown. Then the destroyer arrived, and all hell broke loose. The Reformants ended up caught in between hammer and anvil - the corvettes and remaining fighters behind them, and the newly arrived destroyer, deploying its own ships, ahead.

"Shit..." Samus cursed quietly, as the airspace around her erupted into a web of missile trails, Beam fire and explosions. It was all she could do to keep her gunship from becoming shrapnel again. Unfortunately, the _Aether_ was not as maneuverable, or lucky.

A salvo of missiles, dodged by the hunter, slammed into the front of the transport, first battering down its shields, then tearing gaping holes in the hull. At the same time, a stream of plasma fired from one of the corvettes raked across the side, piercing straight through the opposite end with no shields to hold it off.

Almost immediately, the ship broke apart - just as it was designed to. Several blocky modules fell away from the center of the transport, some intact, others less so.

_"Hunter, grab the Dragon and go." _

Surprised and annoyed by Rundas' command at the same time, she keyed her comm system. "Are you sure we can't-?"

_"Go. Grab it and warp out. We'll see you after we deal with this. Iceblade, out." _

_'Twist my arm a little more why don't you...' _she thought bitterly, already flying to the only occupied, intact module near the wrecked transport. Quickly grabbing the compartment with her ship's cargo-scale Grapple beam, she 'reeled' it in, and it automatically magnetically clamped to the bottom of her gunship.

Adam, as expected, spoke up. "Samus, your ship's warp system isn't fully repaired. Utilizing it now would be very-"

"I know." Samus set the warp target to a familiar planet, hoped that the drive didn't explode or send her into a black hole, and pressed the button. After several seconds of shaking and rumbling, her ship vanished in an orange streak of light.

In Rundas' ship, he sighed. "We'd better find you when this is over..."

_**A/N: Longest chapter yet! Yay. Shit is going DOWN right now.**_


	10. Save Station 2

_**Determine Warp Destination.**_

**Alright, here we go. Because I am the most indecisive person on the blasted planet, I'm doing this.  
I want you guys to tell me where Samus winds up.**

I've got a few ideas I was thinking over, -insert redundant repetition of above sentance-.

So, here they are - tell me what you think in the reviews.

1. Tallon IV  
2. Bryyo  
3. Aether

Sorry about no chapter, but like I said - I'm indecisive.  
Yeah.  


**_Progress Saved._**

**_Continue?_**


	11. Chapter 9

_Planetary proximity alert - exiting unstable warp. Brace for exit. _

The golden-orange gunship jolted itself out of sub-space, effectively grinding to a relative crawl through space. Samus pulled herself off of the control panel, shaking her head. 'I am NOT... doing that again.'

"Before you feel the need to check, Samus, the grapple link is still secure. Ridley made it through the warp intact. And he is... agitated."

She smirked at Adam's report, quickly checking for any system damage out of habit, and finding none. "Alright. Now, let's see where my ship dropped us..." she muttered idly, glancing out the ship's 'visor' window. The sight certainly surprised her. In front of the ship, close enough to not entirely fit in the viewport, was a vibrant blue planet, seeming to radiate light of its own. This particular planet was familiar to the ex-Huntress. "Well, well - Aether."

"You are familiar with this planet, Samus?"

She nodded, smiling behind her visor. "You could say that, yes. I've actually been meaning to visit here again for a while now..." Her thoughts were interrupted by the communication console lighting up.

_"New arrival, this is First Guardian Y-Til. Kindly state your intentions on Aether." _

"This is Samus Aran on the gunship _Hunter-III_. Requesting permission to visit, First Guardian."

There was no response for almost a minute, then a voice she was glad to hear came over the speakers. _"Defender Aran, it is good to hear from you again. We would be honored to have Aether's savior visit us again - permission granted, of course." _

"Thank you, U-Mos. It's good to hear from you, as well. I've got a... guest coming along too. I hope you don't mind." She could have sworn the Luminoth laughed.

_"Of course not - any guest of yours is welcome here. Please - land near the Great Temple. I will be waiting, Samus." _

With a quick 'thanks', she closed down the link. "Well, Adam - time to see how far they've come in restoring the planet since I've been here."

As the gunship roared down through the planet's atmosphere, Samus was surprised to see that her suit was auto-downloading 'updated planetary map data'._ 'That means there's a significant difference since I was last here...' _It didn't take long to break through the clouds over the planet - and the sight was amazing. Where the temple grounds had been rocky and desolate on her first visit, it was now a vibrant grassland, with scattered structures - looking for all the world like branchless trees - dotting the area. And of course, in the middle of it all, the Great Temple stood, looming like a massive tree over everything else.

She brought the ship to a crawl, hovering over a clear area near the temple, and carefully disengaged the ship's grapple link, letting Ridley's compartment drop the remaining several feet to the ground with a muffled thud while the gunship itself landed just to the side. Jumping out of the topside hatch, she walked over to the compartment and entered the code to open its cargo door, quickly stepping aside to avoid the small stream of fire as Ridley stomped out.

"It's about time, Aran..." he growled, glaring down at her. "Where did you take us, so I at least know where I am?"

"You, Dragon, are on the planet Aether - our home." a strangely echoing voice said. A Luminoth - the tall, vaguely moth-like bipeds considered native to the planet - walked towards them, apparently having seen the ship's landing. "Samus Aran, it is an honor to meet you. I am V-Ril, at your service." he added with a deep bow.

Samus nodded in acknowledgement. "No need for the formalities, V-Ril. The aggravated dragon is Ridley. Who's going to be on his best behavior,_ isn't he_?" she said, with a mocking tone in the last part. The ex-commander just glared at her, saying nothing. "Good. Now, V-Ril - could you ask U-Mos to come out here? Ridley can't exactly get in the temple, and I'm not letting him out of my sight."

The Luminoth nodded slowly. "Of course. I will only be a few minutes." With that, he made his way to the temple to get the Sentinel.

V-Ril kept to his word - not ten minutes later, Samus noticed him walking towards them with a familiar Luminoth in tow.

U-Mos had changed little since the Hunter had last seen him - his vaguely chitin-like skin slightly paler with age, his red eyes and markings slightly duller. "It is good to see you again, Samus. You are doing well, I hope?"

Samus shrugged. "I'm alive, and I managed to visit Aether again. I'd say I'm doing alright." She glanced over at Ridley. "You two haven't met - U-Mos, meet the_ ex_-commander of the Space Pirates, Ridley."

The Luminoth gave the dragon-like commander a look that somehow was perfectly calm, yet showed that the Sentinel was... displeased. "Ridley. We know of you." he said in an even voice. "You come in the company of Aether's savior, thus you are... welcome. However, should you initiate undue conflict, that will change."

Ridley narrowed his eyes at the Luminoth. "Of course. I may be a pirate, but I know when to keep my claws clean."

U-Mos nodded after a moment, apparently satisfied. "Very well. Now, Samus..." He turned to look down at her again. "You may have noticed our planet has begun to recover from the 'Dark Aether' incident. If you would allow it, V-Ril has requested the honor of showing you what we have restored. I would, of course, accompany you."

After a few seconds, Samus nodded. "I don't see why not. I could use a break from all the conflict I usually deal with." _'Although, I can bet conflict will still find me...'_ she added mentally.

U-Mos nodded again, clearly pleased by her response. But if U-Mos was pleased, V-Ril was positively ecstatic. "We'll begin as soon as I retrieve my hover-skiff. I will be only a minute!" With that, he was off, presenting Samus with the somewhat humorous sight of a Luminoth running.

U-Mos laughed quietly, a sort of echoing hum. "He attempts to remain... formal, but he_ is_ young. Thank you, Samus - you have just made his day, as the term goes."

As they waited for V-Ril to return, Ridley thought about his situation._ 'My command ripped from me by a clone of my nemesis. Then I am placed, as much as I loathe to admit it, in her debt. And now, here I am, on a planet whose inhabitants do not fear, but respect her. No, beyond that - they_ revere_ her...'_ He glanced down at his metal-reinforced claws, slightly digging them into the ground in frustration. _'How?!' _

After several minutes, they heard the faint roar of an engine, and a large vehicle - similar to the Shrike skiffs the Space Pirate used, but with the usual circle motifs the Luminoth seemed so fond of - rose into view and started flying in their direction. "Ah, V-Ril has been looking for any reason to use that vehicle. He is quite proud of it." U-Mos commented idly. "It took him almost a cycle to repair and redesign it."

The skiff slowed to a stop next to Samus' gunship, with V-Ril sitting in the exposed pilot's seat. "The LS _Lightskimmer_ is at your service, Miss Aran."

Samus jumped onto the skiff, rocking it slightly. "Nice job with the refit. Where'd you find the Shrike?"

As the Luminoth began to ramble about how he had found the skiff, U-Mos also jumped on board - with a psionic boost that is. Ridley glanced at the skiff and shook his head. "I'll fly alongside. Try to keep up." He flapped his dragon-like wings once, hard, launching himself into a hover slightly above the vehicle. "So where is this glorified tour going?"

V-Ril halted his explanation. "Well... the Agon Plains has been reclaimed, as well as the central portions of the Torvus Jungle near the Light temple. Of course, the fortress has been repaired as well. Samus, where would you like to go?"

She thought for a moment. "Agon. It was the first place I visited before - might as well go in order."

The Luminoth nodded, turning back to the controls. "Very well. Agon Plains it is. And Ridley... try to keep up." He pushed a lever forward, and the _Lightskimmer_ shot off like a rocket, Ridley following close behind.

A small, ebony-plated Splinter - a four legged, insect-like creature - crawled partway out from under the Hunter's gunship. It seemed to look after the skiff before skittering back under the ship and into the small tunnel below it.**_ … She's back._**

_**A/N: Sorry about the shorter chapter considering the time it took to make. Anyway, as you can probably tell the majority rule was Aether, so here you are.  
Hope you enjoyed! See you next chapter.**_


	12. Chapter 10

The _Lightskimmer_ flew across the plains, the environment nothing but a tan-green blur. V-Ril was chattering excitedly about how the Agon Plains had been reclaimed, while Samus had a quiet conversation with U-Mos. "How have things been since I left?"

The Luminoth shrugged, sitting cross-legged on the surface of the skiff. "Things have been well Samus. A lot has happened in the past several cycles, with most of it being good." He seemed to smile, his small wings shifting slightly on his back. "After you left, I released the rest of us from stasis, and we quickly began restoring the planet. The result... well you have seen it."

Ridley, flying alongside the craft, took in the sight around him silently. Just behind the skiff, a small geyser erupted, sending a stream of water shooting up to the sky._ 'It's strange seeing land like this.'_ he thought. _'When it's not torn up, it's actually... familiar?'_

_-Flashback: 1st person-_

_I looked over at my father, a much larger, dull-red scaled version of myself. We were resting on a tall hill overlooking the Fire Plains - waiting for the geysers to erupt like they did every evening. "So... when are you going to teach me how to breathe fire like the geysers?" I asked, shifting my wings slightly._

_He glanced down at me and laughed, a deep, slightly growl-like sound. "When you can fly through them without getting burned, I will teach you. Just like my father taught me." When I sighed, glancing at where I had been burned on my last attempt, he tapped the top of my head with a claw. "Don't let your mistakes drag you down Ridley. Learn from them - do not repeat them. Now, the geysers are about to erupt - fly."_

_I nodded, determined to succeed this time, and took a short running start before launching into the air. Right on cue, the Fire Plains showed where they got their name. Hundreds of pillars of flame shot out of the ground, reaching taller than the greatest tree. I angled myself down, and dove towards the first of the geysers. Wrapping my wings around me like a cloak, I shot through the flame untouched. But that was only one - I needed to fly through nine more, as per the rite._

_The other geysers were dealt with similarly - then I had only one left. Solare - the largest and most intense flame geyser on the planet. I gave myself a brief moment to focus, then I shot down towards the massive pillar of fire. Again, my wings formed a cloak around me, and I was nearly through. Then... heat. Searing pain - my wing wasn't working! I fell towards the ground, seeing a dull red blur before..._

_-Flashback End-_

Ridley shrieked, his regular wing-flaps halting and letting gravity pull him out of the air. As he fell, he could hear shouting, and regained his senses - but not quickly enough. As he started to right himself in the air, he failed to notice a sharp, rocky outcropping jutting from the ground. With the momentum from his fall, the rock drove through his left wing like a spike, tearing through the membrane and smashing into the bony wing-arm with a crack.

The _Lightskimmer_ came to a hovering stop near the dragon, with Samus jumping off and running over to him. "Ridley, what the hell-" She stopped when she saw him holding his shredded wing awkwardly against his side, dripping blood onto the grass. Automatically due to her focus on him, her suit quickly scanned him.

_Bioform: Ridley. Left wing severely damaged - membrane useless. Support arm broken. Possibility of full recovery - 63%. Mental state in flux - memories surfacing that have been artificially repressed. Recommend caution._

Ridley glanced over at her, obviously trying to ignore his wing. "I can't have... a moment pass without injury... around you, can I?" he snarled.

"Ridley, what was that?" Samus asked, ignoring his comment. "You zoned out and-"

The dragon interrupted her with a snarl. "I'm _flattered_ that you worry about me, Samus. But I've dealt with worse." He glared at her, for the moment forgetting his wing. "After all, you have killed me. And that didn't stop me."

Samus waited a few moments, then shook her head and walked back over to the skiff, where U-Mos and V-Ril were waiting. Looking up and seeing the quickly fading 'daylight', she said, "We'll have to stop here. He's not going anywhere. V-Ril, can you find something to use as a temporary shelter for the night?"

The Luminoth nodded, getting behind the Lightskimmer's controls. "I won't be long."

As the skiff began to rise up, U-Mos jumped down from the vehicle. "I will remain here. The creatures of Aether will not attack with me around."

V-Ril turned the skiff back towards the Great Temple, and it was gone.

Samus and the Luminoth both turned to look back at Ridley, who was laying on the ground, his long tail curled around him. "… he'll live. Death hasn't stopped him, a hurt wing sure won't." she muttered.

"… and that's how I finally killed Dark Samus." Samus finished, leaning against the grounded _Lightskimmer_. V-Ril had been again true to his word - he quickly returned with what was essentially a thin metal tent. With little else to do, the others had asked her to recount some of her old missions - and the Huntress was happy to oblige.

U-Mos tilted his head to the side. "How did your dark twin survive its first defeat? Dark Aether collapsed with it inside."

She shrugged. "The same way Ridley there keeps coming back - the universe hates me." she replied with a short laugh. "Otherwise, I wouldn't keep losing every upgrade at the start of each mission. On Tallon IV, it was a space station blowing up, here it was the Ing..."_ 'And then the one time I DON'T lose them...'_ She kept talking, but noticed her suit blinking an alert.

_Non-Indigenous bioform detected. Cross-Referencing Morphology database... ... Match found. Dark Splinter. Hostile intent estimate: Low._

Samus put a hand up to stop the question V-Ril was about to ask. She hopped onto the _Lightskimmer_, and calmly fired a shot at the ground next to the skiff. Almost immediately, a dark-plated Splinter skittered out from under the vehicle, its red-yellow eyes darting around wildly. The Hunter quickly aimed her arm cannon at it, but was surprised to see it cowering.

_**We already lost our planet, can't you leave us alone!?**_

The Dark Splinter's 'voice' was strange - the creature itself seemed to just be chittering normally, but overtop of that was a somehow dark, echoing voice.

U-Mos seemed surprised as well. "The darkling can talk." He knelt down near the Splinter, which skittered back a few steps in response. "How are you still alive?"

The Splinter didn't respond for a moment, possibly deciding if it could escape without getting shot._** We weren't all on Ingstin - 'Dark Aether'. Some of us were still here, hiding from her.**_

Samus lowered her cannon, jumping back down. "From who? Me, or my clone?"

The darkling skittered away from them both, especially wary of Samus._** Both of you. You killed us if we so much as twitched, and she dominated us.**_

Sighing, Samus shook her head. "That sounds like Dark Samus alright. But why are you still here?"

The creature made an odd clicking sound - it was laughing._** Where would we go? The creatures here believed us to be one of their own. It was the only home we had.**_

U-Mos nodded. "I understand. The ones who attacked the temples - they were under the dark twin's control."

Managing a nod - interesting to see, since the Splinter had no separation between its body and head - the darkling glanced back at Samus._** You. You've lost the Light.**_

Tilting her head in confusion, she asked, "The Light? The Light of Aether?"

The darkling indicated 'no'. _**Your Light. It is what we Ing lack.**_

U-Mos seemed worried about the Ing's statement, and Samus noticed. "… what is it talking about, U-Mos?"

The Luminoth hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "… All intelligent creatures of this dimension - save for some rarities, such as your dark twin - contain a small portion of this dimension's core attribute - Light. It is what makes them belong here, and what made Dark Aether's atmosphere so hazardous." He used one hand to smooth back the small feelers on his head. "If you have lost it..."

The Ing finished for him._** You are just like us - a dark creature in a world of light. And it will tear you apart.**_

**_A/N: Yes, Samus referenced Metroid: Other M. And for the record, in reference to Aether's Day/Night cycle, I assume that since the planet doesn't have a sun, the time is instead tracked by the brightening and fading of the Light of Aether. I guess that'd be controlled from the Great Temple's energy controller, simulating night and day. And finally, I was always convinced that not ALL of the Ing were evil, since DarkSamus was involved. So this happened._**


	13. Save Station 3

_**Data Fragmented - Upload Incomplete.  
Repairing...**_

_**Message Received. Playing.**_

**Yeah, guys, sorry about not updating in a while. I've hit a mountain of writer's block, unfortunately.  
I'm not ditching the story - hell no, I like working on it too much for that - but it'll be a bit before the next chapter is up.**

**I just wanted to tell you all that you guys are the main reason I love this story so much - having people enjoy my writing, and beyond that, actually await the next chapters, gives me a lot of drive to write it. So I'm going to say again - Mission Undefined is not going to die any time soon. It's asleep, nothing more.**

**Thanks for your reviews and support, and I'll see you guys next chapter.**

**_Message Ended.  
Resume Progress? Y/N_**


	14. Chapter 10b

_**First off, thanks to -Ancient Dragon writer- for the idea for this chapter. I probably would have never gotten even this much out without your help.**_

Samus glanced at her suit's motion sensor yet again as something - a Splinter drone or a Kralee - set it off for the twentieth time. The planet's 'daylight' had faded entirely, the_ Lightskimmer's_ on-standby engines giving off a dim orange glow around the skiff with a constant faint hum, and the others had long since fallen asleep. She shifted slightly where she was laying on the craft, looking at Ridley curled up a few feet away from it. With no conflict to focus on, her thoughts began to wander.

_'Things are changing... the Federation against me, the Pirates turning on Ridley... and I'm fighting a real losing battle for the first time in my life.'_ She sighed, getting to her feet and hopping down from the skiff. _'And Ridley... what could've caused him to falter like that?'_

She walked over to where Ridley was sleeping, kneeling down to get a closer look at his injured wing. "… what could've thrown you off...?" she wondered quietly aloud, shaking her head. After a few seconds, she got back up and moved over to a flat rock nearby and sat down, looking up at the starry sky.

It was several minutes before the silence was broken. "What do you want?" Ridley asked with an acid tone, not bothering to look at her.

Samus turned her gaze towards him again, shrugging slightly. "Nothing, really. Although, since you asked... I was wondering what could have made you just fall out of the sky." She hesitated a second before adding, "I guess I'm worried, considering the screech you made."

Ridley shifted to look at her, suspicious. "You... worried about me? Is that some kind of sick joke?" He gave a scornful laugh, shaking his head. "Right. Well, if it'll set your 'worries' aside, I'm just fine." Despite his words, Ridley's tone suggested otherwise.

Samus waited for a few moments before asking, "You want to talk about it?"

"I said I'm FINE." Ridley snapped, glaring at her. "Not like you actually give a damn." he added under his breath.

She shook her head in disagreement. "We are working together this time - so yes, I actually do care. And you are not fine, I can tell that much."

The dragon continued to glare at her silently in response.

After a few seconds, she let out an exasperated sigh. "You really are something. Even now, you're too stubborn for your own good."

For just a moment, Ridley's glare vanished, replaced with surprise... and something else. But it was only a moment. "What exactly is that supposed to mean, Aran?" he growled, his yellow eyes narrowed.

The huntress simply shrugged - she was oddly relaxed, considering the circumstances. "Something's eating you. It's really not hard to see - you don't hide it well. Trust me, you can't let it just sit there."

Ridley started to form a retort, but he hesitated. Instead, he mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked, leaning forward slightly out of interest. "If you're going to talk, Ridley, speak up."

"… remembered something." he said quietly, his voice a sharp contrast to his normal grating, irritated growl. His expression was a strange one, for the dragon - his eyes half closed, giving him a sort of contemplative look.

Samus didn't say anything, only nodding once and motioning for him to explain.

For a few seconds, Ridley was silent, watching the shadows cast by the skiff's engine glow. "I don't know exactly what it was..." He shook his head, trying to remember it clearly. "A test... before I could learn to breathe flames. I think... I failed? I was flying... and all I can remember is fire scorching me." He shifted his wings automatically, wincing as his injured wing protested.

Samus waited for a few moments, in case he was going to continue. "… was there anything else?" She was genuinely interested, in spite of herself, with what the 'cold-blooded dragon' was beginning to remember.

He hesitated for a moment, not responding._ '… what am I doing? This is Samus Aran, the hunter who has killed me more times than I can remember... and I'm having a conversation with her about some stupid memory...'_ His claws started to dig into the ground, carving deep furrows in the dirt._ 'You idiot... this is only temporary. When all of this is over, she's going to be holding that cannon to your throat, just like always.'_ He was startled out of his thoughts by a metal-clad hand against his forearm.

"Ridley, get some sleep." Samus was kneeling next to him, her expression hidden behind that blue-green visor. "You need it - it will help you get your thoughts together." She sounded sincere - but maybe that was lack of sleep messing with his mind. When he nodded silently, the huntress seemed satisfied and stood up, making her way back over to the skiff.

Ridley sighed, inwardly surprised at how open he had been - and how eager Aran was to listen, as little as he may have said. _'What is wrong with me...'_ He curled up again, settling in for whatever meager amount of sleep he can get. Hissing quietly when he shifted his wing again, he didn't notice the faint blue tint in the torn membrane.

_**A/N - I want to apologize for this chapter being so short - especially considering how long it's been since the last one. I would have made it longer, but I simply couldn't come up with a decent way to continue it. I'll be honest, I've sort of had a major drop in inspiration for this story - believe me, I want to keep writing, but the story just isn't coming to me like it used to. If any of you have any ideas, no matter how out-there, please send them my way. See you all next chapter.**_


	15. Chapter 11

A sinister laugh shocked me awake, to be presented with only darkness.

**"Good to see you again... ****_sister_****."** I recognized that voice... but it - she - died along with her planet... didn't she? **"Not quite... you never were good at finishing the job, were you?"** Dark Samus seemed to read my mind, taunting me with a laugh and slowly fading into view... but something was wrong. Her form was slightly distorted, like a holographic illusion - glimpses of something else seemed to show through for a split second before vanishing as if they had never been.

I didn't give her the satisfaction of a response, simply glaring at my twin that had caused so much trouble for the galaxy. Strangely enough, I couldn't feel the comfortable weight of my arm cannon...

**"Oh, don't worry... I just want to talk. You won't need your ever-useful weapons..."** she said, her echoing voice twistedly happy. As she spoke, her own cannon phased out, replaced by not an arm, but a faintly glowing blue tendril of phazon. **"There, see? I even disarmed myself. How about a friendly chat between sisters, hm?**" she asked, her tone somehow both taunting and sincere at once.

"…" I still remained silent, but gave a shallow nod - I would listen, if nothing else. There was little else I could do, at any rate.

Though she wore a helmet - or appeared to - my twin seemed to smile. It was an unsettling thing. **"Excellent. Now... there are some things I want to show you.**" The darkness on the 'ground' between us rippled, showing a view of... a Leviathan, drifting through space. **"Yes... one of the seeds survived your ****_massacre_****."** Her form shifted again, taking the appearance of my Varia suit again for just a moment before fading back to her own.

I was surprised, but not only at the view - something about her was off. But what was it...

**"I survived that battle."** she continued, breaking my thoughts. **"This seed never reached a planet. I consumed it to survive."** The phantom Leviathan seemed to wither, until all that was left was its organic shell - all traces of phazon were gone. **"You are in the same position as me... fighting an inevitability."**

I refocused on my twin rather than the phantom image. There it was again - her voice. It had a strange... dual layer to it. Like a sound mask... what was under it?

She seemed to get irritated at my silence, but continued. **"We can help each other. I need something to survive off of..."** The image was replaced by a small point of light, like a miniature star. **"And you... need a lifeline."**

That caught my attention, out of suspicion if nothing else. "… go on."

**"I have a simple deal to offer. I can make a sort of mental link with you. As long as you live, so will I, and vice versa. All you need to do... is let me."** The light vanished, and a large, familiarly-designed door took its place. Hexagonal in shape, it had her signature angular 'S' emblazoned on both sides.

"… what is this?" I asked, walking around it to see my twin.

**"A mental gate."** she replied simply. She took a step towards it and reached out with her hand, only to snatch it back as a golden bolt of energy arced from the door to her. **"As you can see, I can't open it myself. It is a door to your mind, to put it simply - well guarded, too. The Chozo saw to that..."** Again, her form wavered - was that yellow gel on 'my' armor? **"Unless you open it for me... I can't help you."**

I was silent for a moment, acting like I was seriously thinking about this. "I'm not that desperate." I replied finally, shaking my head. "After all the work I did to get rid of you, I'm not going to be your lifeline. And I'll find my own way to survive - always have." Ignoring her 'glare' - I could tell, even from behind a visor so like my own - I turned my back on her. "I've never been good at finishing the job, true... but I always make hell for anyone in my way."

**"… You'll regret this."** Dark Samus replied after a few long moments, her acidic tone conveying her... irritation quite clearly. **"You WILL come crawling back-"**

"You obviously don't know me very well, especially if you're supposed to be my twin." I cut her off, turning my head to glance back. "Work on your act and try again later." My reply seemed to shake 'her', because her form shifted a final time, to be... me?

My... doppelganger took a single, lightning-swift stride and was holding its arm cannon against my visor in the next instant, giving me a perfect view of a charging beam shot.** "You'll die here. And WE will take your place."** The glowing yellow orb shot down the barrel of the cannon, and-

**_"ARAN!"_**

_-3rd Person-_

Samus jolted awake - not on the skiff, but on a low, flat rock just large enough to lay on - quickly sitting up and bringing her arm cannon up with a shot already charging with a hum. But just as quickly a metal-plated claw pushed the cannon down, and Ridley looked down at her. "Aran, enough!" he snarled, his orange eyes flashing for a moment. "You're alright. Shut it off." Beside him U-Mos and V-Ril stood, the former with a worried expression and the latter with the same mixed with some confusion.

The huntress, wide-eyed behind her visor, franticly glanced between the dragon and the two Luminoth. _'It was... it was just a dream- no, it was a _nightmare_...'_ she thought, shaking her head and taking a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm... fine." she said finally, standing up and letting her arm cannon power down.

"I don't need to be a telepath to know you're lying through your teeth, Aran." Ridley said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "You looked like something was trying to kill you just now. And it scared you."

U-Mos nodded, taking a step forward. "I am inclined to agree with him. I felt something within your mind - something hungry and dark. And it locked me out - prevented me from 'listening in'." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Of course, I would only enter your mind for your own safety."

Samus started to say something, but was interrupted by Adam. "Samus! Something is not right." The AI sounded extremely alarmed - and speaking of alarms, Samus suddenly realized an icon on her suit's HUD was flashing. _'But I haven't seen that one since...'_ "Samus... your suit is reporting a noticeable change in your mental structure."

"Care to elaborate, Adam?" she asked, outwardly calmer but inside, fearing she was right.

"Something has quarantined a small section of your mind. As far as scanners are concerned... it's a different individual stored within your mind. It should cause no functional issues with the suit... but I worry for your safety. Look out for any strange thoughts or impulses - they may not be your own."

Samus groaned out of frustration. "Still say you're fine, Aran?" She looked back to Ridley, who just nodded his head slightly. "We heard. Your computer forgot to mute the speakers." He seemed... worried.

After hesitating for a moment, she sighed. "No... no, I'm sure as hell_ not_ fine." she admitted, shaking her head._ 'I've got something else in my mind... now even when I'm not fighting, I'm fighting...'_ She faintly heard U-Mos finish saying something. "Say that again, U-Mos? I missed it - I'm... not all that focused right now."

The Luminoth nodded understandingly. "Of course, Samus. I asked if you would mind recounting to us what you experienced."

Samus thought for a second, then nodded. "Yes, I guess I will." She sat back down, and hesitated before proceeding to explain her 'nightmare'. _'If that's even what it was... I hope I'm wrong, but I think it was something much worse.'_

Far away from the group, but still within the same region, a small yellow gel-like blob floated out from behind a pillar of stone. A bluish glow surrounded it, expanding and persisting for several seconds before fading entirely. In its place, a small gunmetal grey-scaled, dragon-like creature glanced around and stretched its new wings before launching into the sky, its blue-tinted reptilian eyes glinting with malicious intelligence.

_**A/N: Wow - I actually got a chapter out! I wonder sometimes where my ideas come from. And why I can never get them on command. -_- It's irritating. Anyway, I apologize for the wait - I'm writing whenever I can actually think straight. Now, I wonder what that little thing at the end is... *shrug* who knows? I don't... I'm not telling, even if I did! So yeah. Hope this was up to par - tell me what you all think! See you next chapter!**_


	16. Chapter 12

_**A/N: Again, all I can say is sorry for the wait - it took me forever to get this to where I was content with posting it. I am getting worse and worse at thinking of what to put here, so... hope you enjoy the chapter!**_

A Space Pirate trooper rushed through the corridors of their new flagship - the _Assimilator_ - not looking forward to delivering his report. "_Send the rookie_ they said... She'll go easy on him!" he grumbled, stopping in front of the door to the command center. "I hope they're right..." He straightened up, took a deep breath, and opened the door to the darkened room. Very little filled the large space - a single, long table with chairs lining the sides and several inactive holo-terminals were the only things to be seen. Anything else was hidden by shadows. "Private Kirin reporting, Commander!"

The orange and red armored figure sitting at the far end of the table, half-hidden by the lack of lighting in the room, gave no visible indication it had heard him, but he still heard _her_ reply - _**Where are they? **_

He swallowed nervously, his data-board clattering between his shaking pincers. "T-they escaped, Commander... w-we are trying to track the h-hunter, but there have been complications. The traitor is with her." Seeing the figure stand up out of its chair, he hurried to add, "B-but we're working as quickly as we can! I-it won't be long before-" He was cut off by a red stream of plasma searing through his chest. He couldn't even manage a screech - his lungs were a small pile of ash that spilled onto the floor as he fell.

Its visor locked onto the fallen Pirate, the armored commander lowered its arm cannon, smoke trailing from the red-hot barrel. Without any warning a yellow, gel-like tendril shot out of the shadows and wrapped around the still-twitching corpse and dragged it back out of the light. After a few seconds, a pair of gleaming orange eyes stared at the armored figure from the darkness. The commander simply sat back down, not even glancing back. **_Find the hybrid... and do not fail us. _**

Samus shifted in her seat on the Lightskimmer, watching Aether's reclaimed landscape slowly drift by. Several hours ago, Ridley had rather clearly said how boring it was just staying where they were, and insisted he was able to at least travel along the ground. So, they were off touring the healed planet again, albeit at a much slower pace. U-Mos glanced back at her from his seat next to V-Ril. "Samus, are you sure you are going to be fine?"

"U-Mos, I'm fine. It was... unsettling when it happened, but it's over with." She sighed - the Luminoth had been asking the same question every twenty minutes for the past two hours. "I'll be sure to say something if that changes." Her response seemed to satisfy him - for now - as he simply nodded and faced forward again.

"We will be entering the Torvus Jungle within a few hours." V-Ril informed them after several minutes of silence. "It's really quite the sight, now that we've had a chance to help it heal."

Samus nodded in acknowledgement, finally taking the time to clear out her outdated log entries. She came across one that she had been meaning to look at since she logged it._ 'Ah, right - Adam, I owe you one for this...' _She accessed the file - a combination of a video/audio recording, and some sort of schematic. Setting the schematic aside for her AI to look at, she played the recording.

-Recording-

An old, weary-looking Chozo looked at the viewer, idly nodding in approval. All that could be seen of the surroundings was the stone wall behind him. "If you are watching this, Samus - and we know it will be you, nobody else will be able to find this..." His speech devolved into a fit of coughing for several moments before continuing. "If you are watching this... we have long left this universe, and the Poison has been removed from it as well. You will be wondering... why we had to leave, as we easily could have avoided the Poison and its like." Another coughing fit, and a small splatter of bluish blood appeared on the 'lens', quickly wiped away by something. "The truth is... we were dying. Our state of... enlightenment... had a terrible cost, that none of us discovered until it was far too late. Immortal in soul, but withered in body, so to speak... immortal and trapped."

The intricately-carved stone wall behind him cracked, and dust billowed down from whatever ceiling was above him. After turning to face something out of view, he continued - his voice more urgent. "I have so much I would say, hatchling, but I... have not the time. You will find with this, a device... you will need it to survive." He stopped again, but not due to coughing - he seemed to choke on whatever he was about to say, before managing to get out, "You are... going to die. Because of us... because of what we made you. Your modifications were... flawed. We condemned you to your path... we sealed your fate for you." The wall cracked further, collapsing inward. Just before it fell on the Chozo, he quickly said, "You knew me as Old Bird, among other things... and we are so sorry..."

-Recording End-

Her visor reverted back to its normal view, and Samus gave no outward indication anything had happened at all. She shifted to lean against the skiff's railing and sat there silently, tears trailing down her face behind the helmet.

"Samus... are you goin-" Adam was muted by a silent command from the huntress. Instantly, text began scrolling across her visor. **Samus, do not shut down on me. You knew they were gone, this should not be a surprise. And... Aran, do not ignore me!** She gave no response, or reaction of any kind - merely closing her eyes, and falling into quiet remembering.

Ridley, standing slightly taller than the 'floor' of the skiff on all fours, glanced over at Samus. "She has just discovered something... a bit shaking." U-Mos said quietly, looking back at him. "I suggest you speak with her when we next stop, within the jungle."

The dragon simply glared at him. "Like she'd speak to _me_ about anything that would bother her. Why don't you talk to her, if you think she should talk about it?" The Luminoth didn't respond, but gave him a strange, knowing look before facing forwards again. Ridley cursed under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. _'Me of all beings, talk to her about anything important... ridiculous!'_ With another glance at the armored huntress, he sighed. _'… it really _is_ ridiculous.' _

Unknown to them, a small draconic creature was following the skiff, flying high in the air behind it. The grey-scaled creature kept its blue-eyed gaze locked on one of them in particular..._** 'Rid...ley. The... original...'**_ It let itself glide a few feet lower, leaving twin faint blue trails behind its wings. _**'Follow... and observe...' **_

It was several hours later when the skiff came to a stop, just within the 'border' of the Torvus Jungle. In stark contrast to how it had been when Samus was last here - a swampy, dangerous, unappealing bog like it was named - it was... well, alive. The trees were cloaked in vibrant green leaves, vines hanging between the branches. The water was no longer murky and dark; it was crystal-clear, and small fish could be seen darting through the rivers. And most of all, there were animals. Not the aggressive monsters that had once inhabited it, but more passive, natural creatures - from the swarms of tiny, four-winged birds flitting between the branches to the large reptiles sunning themselves in the shafts of light between the trees.

"I would like to formally welcome you to..." V-Ril paused for effect - and to power down the_ Lightskimmer_. "...Torvus Jungle."

Ridley looked around, oddly fascinated with how much life there was around them._ 'Is this what we destroyed? Without a second thought... why is this bothering me now?!'_ One of the tiny birds - its emerald-green feathers too fine to distinguish from each other - flew up to him and circled around his head before flitting back to the trees. _'… because I never bothered to look?' _

"Ridley." He turned his head to look at U-Mos, who was holding a small orb of light with a few moth-like insects fluttering around it. "Go on - look around the jungle for a while. You may learn something."

Ridley turned to Samus, expecting her to object, but the huntress - as she had been for the latter half of the trip - remained silent on the skiff. After a few moments, he gave a slight nod and walked on ahead of the 'parked' vehicle. V-Ril glanced back at the Sentinel, surprised. "Are you sure he will not just... run off?"

U-Mos simply nodded, looking at the still form of Samus. "Yes... he will return. That much I am sure of... but little else."


	17. Chapter 13

**I finally got this blasted chapter done! I know it's been... quite a while, but I unfortunately can't deny writer's block. I wanted to get this chapter out sooner, make it a longer chapter, get more done, etc., but this is what I got instead. I'm personally not too sure about this one, but... eh. You guys seem to like my work better than I do, so let me know what you all think. But enough of me rambling, you want the chapter!**

_'You might learn something'? What did he mean by that?' _Ridley thought, pushing his way through a particularly thick section of undergrowth and vines. _'What could I learn from a jungle?'_ He continued forward with a slight shrug of his wings, silently just taking in his surroundings. A small green-feathered bird - the same one from before? - flitted over to him, and after hovering nearby for a few moments perched on the end of his long beak-like maw. He focused on it and actually let out a quiet chuckle. "Heh... not afraid of me, huh?"

Unsurprisingly, there was no reply from the bird. It simply tilted its tiny head and made a short whistling sound. Ridley just slowly shook his head, resuming his walk further into the jungle. Every now and then the bird would whistle again, or hop into the air and fly nearby. He was just starting to think about heading back when he glimpsed something - a dark purple blur - just at the corner of his vision.

Stopping in his tracks, he glanced at where he saw the blur - but saw nothing save for the jungle itself. "I'm just seeing things..." he muttered, shaking his head. Then there it was again, once again just in the corner of his eye. Narrowing his eyes, he snarled, "Alright, show yourself already!"

As if in response, the jungle around him suddenly went silent. A thin field of mist arose from seemingly nowhere and even the small bird following him fell quiet before flying away, disappearing into the jungle. After a few moments, a single orb of the same dark 'light' - slightly less than a foot in diameter - formed out of the mist in front of him. Then another appeared, then another, until the orbs formed a circle with Ridley in the center.

After waiting a minute for something else to happen, he took a few steps forward. The circle of orbs quickly seemed to collapse, each orb merging with the one next to it until just one larger orb about a meter in diameter remained in front of him. It shifted for a second before sprouting four long, thin spike-like 'arms' - the lower two anchoring to the ground - and a single solid blue eye in its center. Two more limbs shot out of its 'back', forming into spectral-looking wings. The... creature, whatever it was, seemed to focus on Ridley now that it was done changing. _"You... we know of you." _

He stared at the creature for a moment. "What... are you?"

The eye blinked, and the creature seemed to focus for a few seconds before responding. _"You would call us... a Spectre, is the closest word. That is appropriate. You are Ridley - and you were once another being entirely." _The Spectre, as it called itself, turned away from him and started 'walking' further into the jungle; its legs, such as they were, moved in an approximation of walking - but it seemed to jump or warp ahead erratically, making its movement... very strange to see.

Ridley hesitated a second as what it said sank in. "Wait - what are you talking about? Explain!" he snarled, not in the mood for riddles or cryptic speaking. When the Spectre did not stop, he quickly followed behind. "Do _not_ ignore me, Spectre! Explain yourself." At that, it did halt and half-turn to look at him.

_"You will follow us. You have questions, and we have answers. Do_ not_ become aggressive, or we will respond in kind. You understand."_ Its 'tone' - the Spectre did not actually speak, he realized, but rather... thought - was almost blank, yet at the same time menacing. More than that, it seemed to not even require confirmation - it either knew or assumed what the response to its statement would be. Not waiting for him to respond, it continued on as if nothing had happened.

He hesitated again - this creature... scared him? Intimidated him?_ 'What... what_is_ this thing?'_ Shaking his head, he said nothing further, following the Spectre. The silence stretched on seemingly for hours as he followed it through the jungle, that thin mist never fading. It came as a surprise, then, when the creature finally 'spoke'.

_"We will answer your questions. You will ask us now."_ It never stopped moving, just letting Ridley keep pace behind it.

He responded with his first question immediately. "What are you? Not your name, but what sort of creature are you? I have seen... nothing like you before."

_"We are the remnants of a dark struggle on this planet. The armies of the dark creatures and those of the light - the Luminoth, both fell in great numbers. Beings of their sort - powerful wills, determined minds - do not fade with death. They endure. In a great concentration of such wills, they return. We are the returned."_ Throughout its speech, the Spectre's 'voice' seemed to shift - it was actually not one voice, now that he listened more closely, but hundreds, thousands of individual voices in synch with one another. _"You have more questions. Ask." _

Ridley was silent for a few moments, thinking that over. After nodding slightly to himself, he asked, "I want you to explain to me what you meant by 'I was once another being entirely'. What was I, then?" As soon as he finished the question, something occurred to him - a foreign idea for him, but one he realized had been becoming more and more apparent recently: He was unsure. There were things he never had even thought to question, and he was beginning to. And it... worried him.

_"That is the big question, is it not? Who were you before. This particular question, you will discover the answer to yourself. However, we will say this: You were not the ruthless creature you had become, nor are you the same now."_ Something seemed to amuse the Spectre, as it made a sound close to a quiet chuckle. _"You wonder how we know this. The answer is exceedingly simple - we knew you. You traveled long before your change. You came to this world. We were not as we are now - we were alive. With physical forms, those of the Luminoth, when you arrived." _

After a few moments, it became obvious the Spectre was waiting for... something. "How... do I not remember any of this?"_ 'When I think about it... why don't I remember anything before...' _The Spectre turned to look at him, stopping in its tracks.

_"… You do not remember. Your memory was... modified. Obstructed. You were conditioned. Made to be ruthless. A soldier, eager to kill. It is sad."_ It took a step, and 'jumped' next to him._"This... changes things. We know now why you were sent to us. Do not move. This may be painful."_ As soon as its statement ended, the Spectre raised one spike-like arm to point at him, just above eye-level. For a moment, nothing happened... then his mind seemed to burst.

Thoughts, memories, and many other things suddenly were rushing through his mind faster than he could process them - a Federation frigate falling to ruins, the remains of a city reduced to smoldering rubble... a perfect replica of himself, contained in a large glass tube. These, he recognized - but until now, the memories had been strangely hazy, hard to focus on. Then there were some that he did not know - the silhouette of a Pirate cruiser blocking the sun, mountains blasted to the ground, creatures like himself shot out of the sky by plasma turrets and missiles... and pain. That, there was plenty of - remembered pain he himself had felt, pain he saw himself deal to others. All of it came rushing to him.

Strangely, he found himself silent. Not crying out in pain - that, he would not have been ashamed of. Instead, he thought. He thought about the many things he had been ordered to do - that he had never hesitated to do. "… do I regret it?" he muttered at last, thinking out loud. "I... don't know." He didn't feel disgusted with himself... he felt that perhaps he should, but he didn't.

_"That, Ridley... is a question that will determine what you will become in the future. But we know you have a final question." _The Spectre seemed... dimmer than it had been. Faded, was a better word. _"We used significant effort to remain one creature for as long as we have. Ask your question now - we will disperse soon." _

"… You're right, I do have another question. But not for you." Ridley said finally, shifting his wings. "Spectre. I don't say this often, or lightly... but thank you." He turned back the way they had come from, and started heading back.

_"You are going the wrong way."_ the Spectre remarked, sounding amused. It pointed one arm to its left. _"Your... companions are that way. And whether you remain grateful is yet to be seen." _

Ridley nodded slightly, this time heading in the direction the Spectre indicated. Before crossing into the near edge of the still-present mist, he looked back at the fading creature. "… For what it's worth, farewell."

The Spectre seemed to brighten up - literally. _"And as we have said in life many times... The light of Aether shine upon you."_ With that it faded away entirely, leaving no trace but a small cloud of dark blue motes of light - and after a few seconds more, those had faded as well.

Beating his wings once, Ridley cleared the mist away._ 'Wait - my wing... it doesn't hurt?' _He looked back at where the Spectre had been, and blinked once before giving a quiet laugh. "… Thanks." Silently, he made his way forward, back towards the Lightskimmer.

Above and behind the dragon-like ex-Pirate, two gleaming blue reptilian eyes stared out after him from within a cluster of branches. **_Ridley... regret? … continue... follow. Observe._** The miniature dragon followed him through the branches with all the stealth of the wind itself. **_Learn... improve. _**


End file.
